A "blizzard" of migrating raptors.

October fifth and I am standing on a ridge looking to the north in Paso de Ovejas Veracruz.

As i scan with the binoculars I spot broken limbs and downed trees everywhere. All the damage being the aftermath of Hurricane Karl. The area of  La Antigua, Cardel, Paso de Ovejas, Chichicaxtle, Salmoral....... suffer one hell of a beating. Winds over 200 kilometers per hour.  The winds, flooding and general destruction have left the people stunned..... just now they are beginning to regroup and put the pieces together. I spend a lot of time in the field and the scope of the destruction is massive.

The raptor migration continues

From the kettle to the kettles.. my first (of the season) Broad-winged hawk sighting in Veracruz

The date: September 20th
Location: Tamalinillo, Veracruz Mexico
Hurricane Karl left us with a lot of moisture here in Veracruz.



The rains ceased on the 20th, the heat and humidity was crazy. The small rural community of Tamalinillo Veracruz was preparing for the festival of Saint Matthew. Early in the morning on the 20th a hog was butchered, by the time I got up the fire was going strong with a big kettle of boiling lard.
 The pork fat and rinds were cooked up first and later, meat was added until all was cooked.

You take this fried pork (while its still hot) and chop it up a bit with a knife put a couple of chunks on a fresh corn tortilla add some home made salsa,  and you have some fine dining. Wash down five or six of these tacos with some cold Tecates and life is indeed good!
I had just finished eating, it was about 2pm and I spot some movement in the sky to the other side of the valley....a "kettle" of Broad-winged hawks - Buteo platypterus. These are my first BW's of this season here in Veracruz. I feel the rush of adrenaline as a race to get the camera. Below is a view of the hawks in a thermal or "kettle". A "kettle" is a column of rising warm air, when the raptors enter the column of rising warm air they soar in spirals to gain altitude to continue their migration. This soaring spiral of hawks, in great numbers, gives the effect of water boiling in a kettle. 

Here is another view as the Broad-winged hawks as they leave the "kettle". The wing shape changes to glide and the appearance is one of uniformity, another name for this gliding flight pattern is called a "stream" or a "line".

I counted approximately 1,800 Broad-winged hawks in about an hour.

Their coming.... & and you know you are a hawkwatcher when....

I love to open my e-mail and see all the reports from the hawkwatch sites from around the country [BIRDHAWK]

 The hawks are on their way! I can feel the excitement building as the hundreds of hawk-watch sites throughout the country post their numbers and observations.


With all of the recent rains here in Veracruz things have slowed down a bit. In the next few days we will begin to see more activity.
As a side note I have been working hard on practical ecology/conservation based project to thwart the continued de-forestation here in Mexico. I has to do with an improved strain of pasture grass that is 3 to 4 times as effective as normal pasture growth... I will be making posts here in the very near future with more details.
It's still no to late to sign up for the three dates for the hawk watch/birding tours. I would love to have more people here to experience the worlds most concentrated raptor migrations.

34,000 + Mississippi Kites - MK counted Sept.8th in Veracruz Mexico

The migration continues. Yesterday over 34,000 Mississippi Kites MK were counted in Veracruz. With a total of 236,000 MK counted thus far in 2010 (source Hawkcount.Org)  Mississippi kites are graceful in flight and can often be seen grabbing a dragonfly for a  in flight snack. Once again I am extending an invitation to all to "come on down" and experience the Veracruz bird of prey migrations first hand.
Eyes to the sky,
David

When I grow up I wanna be a Peregrine Falcon....ohhh yeaah!

When you're standing on a ridge and a migrating Peregrine falcon -Falco peregrinus comes by in full "glide" and you can manage to get a pic, thats good...real good. Join the party...there's a HAWK WATCH goin on!       http://veracruzhawkwatch.blogspot.com

Posted via email from veracruzhawkwatch

Raptor migrations off to a good start........

Greetings from Cerro Azul, Veracruz. This is shaping up to be one of the best hawk watch seasons ever! Sept. 3.... and as far as observations of migrating raptors I am not in the optimum location at the moment. (38 kilometers inland from the gulf of Mexico in Northern Veracruz) Thus far nothing great in the raptor migration sitings ( 1 HK -Hooked-billed Kite and about 70 MK - Mississippi Kites, mostly juvies.) The movements are passing closer to the gulf and out of my range of view. Thanks to HAWKCOUNT.ORG I am able to get my daily  raptor "fix" with  the help of the Corpus Christi Gang (Libby, Dane, Kevin,Patti, Bill.....and all the rest) 
 to the North.
To the South,"River of Raptors Veracruz"  aka Hawk-watch Mecca (mecca n. A place that is regarded as the center of an activity or interest.)

I send "saludos y tequilazos" to the hardworking  River of Raptors team in Cardel y Chichicaxtle
Habacuc, Rigo, Citlali, Irving,James, Oscar, Rene, Roberto y Otros PRONATURA 
Here is a data summary as of Sept.2:Corpus Christi 
Data summary for Veracruz ROR Sept2: River of Raptors

Torrential rains to the south in Veracruz with many flooded communities including "my beloved" Tlacotalpan. FLOOD 2010  
My best wishes for ALL
All for the moment....be well and remember "eyes to the sky" and "solo Vera Cruz es bello"
David McCauley




,

Somebody's watching me......visit from a praying mantis and a hook-billed kite.

 Yesterday, I climbed a ridge in Piedra Labrada, Veracruz, with a panoramic view northward to see if I could spot some of the first migrating raptors. After scanning the sky for several hours I caught a movement out of the corner of my eye. I had a praying mantis perched on my spotting telescope and it was watching me looking for hawks! (or so it seemed :-) ) It reminded me of a blast from the past, a Rockwell song "Somebody's Watching Me. Below is a youtube video thats spoofs the song and I couldn't help bus chuckle when I saw it.








 

 I got these pics of the praying mantis with my Canon EOS 40D and 60mm ESF 2.8 (macro)
So back to my raptor observations, after scanning for about 5 hours I had seen roaming resident BV's black vultures as well as a handful of resident TV's turkey vultures. In addition to this I could observe that there was a significant dragonfly and butterfly migration underway, with thousands skimming by each hour.
Around 4pm, I got that glimpse that every hawk-watcher and birder wants..... headed my way I could see a distinct raptor profile with some ragged plumage. I had a Hook-billed Kite Chonroheirax unicinatus!! I scrambled for the camera, Canon Rebel T1i with Canon 400mm 5.6 lens and was able to get off about 22 shots as it passed by.

This shot in flight is a male hook-billed kite (gray and white barring on the belly) Hook-billed kites lack a surpra-orbital ridge which gives the head the look of a "monster pigeon on steroids" while in flight.
What a thrill to observe and photograph this bird! I will be continuing to post my raptor migration observations from Veracruz Mexico.
Good birding All and Eyes to the Sky.
David



David McCauley
hawkwatch@gmail.com
twitter:     @ mexicohawk

Starting August 15 2010 - I will be observing migration here in Veracruz

Birders and Hawkwatchers everywhere, welcome to my blog Veracruz Hawk Watch.
Tomorrow I will begin to search the skies for early signs of migration of raptor, birds, butterfly and dragonflies. This is indeed one of the most exciting times of the year for me. There is something magical about the visuals of the migration. Imagine swirling clouds and V-shaped lines of  thousands American White pelicans, Anhinga or Wood storks.   CLICK ON ANY PHOTO TO MAKE IT LARGER

In addition  to these migrants it is possible to observe significant  numbers of scissor-tailed flycatchers and white-winged doves as they migrate south.

The migrations of millions of butterflies and dragonflies is also quite awesome!

My favorite migration visual are the birds of prey. The raptor migrations are the show stoppers of the Veracruz migrations.  Swirling "kettles" (thermals) and "lines" of Turkey Vultures, Swainson's Hawks, Broad-winged Hawks, Mississippi kites.  Millions of these species are counted each fall as the migrate south to Central and South America.

Also it is possible to see Swallow-tailed kites, Hooked-billed Kites, Peregrine falcons, Merlins, Sharp-shinned hawks, Coopers hawks, Osprey, Red-tailed hawks, Red-shouldered hawks, Aplomado Falcons, Great Black Hawk, American Kestrels, Crested Caracara, Bat falcon, Short-tailed hawks...... the list goes on.
We still have space for the tours to witness these migrations, the information is posted below:
Good birding all! See you in Veracruz. CLICK ON THE GIF BELOW

David McCauley


For the fall 2010 Veracruz  Hawkwatch Tours I will once again be teaming up with Simon Thompson of Ventures Birding Tours- "Putting the fun back into birding!" We have a fine team of guides this year, Simon Thompson, Frank Gallo, Bill Thompson (Birdwatchers Digest) and David McCauley.
We have selected 4 dates for the Veracruz hawkwatch tours:
Tour #1.   September 25th -October 2nd
Tour #2    October 2nd-9th
Tour #3.   October 9th-16th
Tour #4.   October16th-23rd
**each tour is 7 days and begins and ends on a Saturday.
For the tour specifics please visit The Ventures Birding Tours website
or you can contact me David McCauley       veracruz.hawkwatch@gmail.com

Old bird book (pdf) (public domain)

I found this cool public domain book A bird guide from 1913. below is the link if you are interesed in downloading a copy.
http://www.archive.org/details/birdbookillustra00reedrich

Posted via email from veracruzhawkwatch

The magnificent Great Black Hawk - Buteo urubitinga ridgwayi

Here are some pics that I shot of the Great Black Hawk, a resident raptor that is found in Veracruz Mexico.

I love all things raptor! The great black hawk is a marvelous raptor that can be found foraging for food, on the ground in wet marshy areas.
Visit us this late summer and early fall to witness the worlds most concentrated bird of prey migration.
 Veracruz raptor migrations are with out parallel. For more information please contact me David McCauley veracruz.hawkwatch@gmail.com.
 Good birding All!

August 15th in Veracruz the worlds largest bird of prey migration begins. During last week in September and first three weeks of October it is possible to see tens of thousands of migrating birds of prey each day. Each year between 4.5 to 6 million raptors are counted, representing 15 different species. Species include, Broad-winged hawks, Swainson's hawks, Mississippi kites, Turkey Vultures, Peregrine Falcons, Red-tailed hawks, Coopers hawks, Sharp-shinned hawks, Osprey, Swallow-tailed hawks, Merlins.......
I am hooked on the migration and would love to share the experience with you. We have four tour dates this year to share the raptor migrations with you.
Good birding,
birdingbuzz@gmail.com
David McCauley
hawkwatch@gmail.com

Migrating raptor mix from Veracruz Mx Simple ID quiz

Posted via email from veracruzhawkwatch

Putting fun back in the Hawkwatch!

Here's a special invitation to birders and hawk watchers to witness the bird of prey migrations in Veracruz Mexico, fall 2010. Veracruz is one of the best seats on  the planet to observe migrating birds of prey and resident raptors.
Veracruz hawk watch is raptor observation on a grand scale.
Come on down this fall and sit back with a cold drink and see hawk watch like you have never seen it before! We have scouted out the best views, great food and birding sites. Join us.



For the fall 2010 Veracruz  Hawkwatch Tours I will once again be teaming up with Simon Thompson of Verntures Birding Tours- "Putting the fun back into birding!" We have a fine team of guides this year, Simon Thompson, Frank Gallo, Bill Thompson and David McCauley.
We have selected 4 dates for the Veracruz hawkwatch tours:
Tour #1.   September 25th -October 2nd
Tour #2    October 2nd-9th
Tour #3.   October 9th-16th
Tour #4.   October16th-23rd
**each tour is 7 days and begins and ends on a Saturday.
For the tour specifics please visit The Ventures Birding Tours website

What is HAWKWATCH?

Yesterday afternoon I took some time out here in NYC to visit MOMA (Museum of Modern Art) I had a great time viewing many of the great masterpieces of  of contemporary art. As a photographer and lover of art, the visit to the museum brought me special pleasure as I visually soaked in my favorite artists, Francis Bacon, Matisse, Picasso, Modigliani, Giacometti, Dubuffet......   I came across a painting by the artist John Baldessari entitled "What is Painting"

As I pondered the words of the painting I thought how fitting they were to describe not just painting but what is the essence of the hawkwatch.
Here goes my version:
WHAT IS HAWKWATCH?
DO YOU SENSE HOW ALL THE VISUAL ELEMENTS OF HAWKWATCH ARE CONNECTED? HAWKWATCH IS A CREATION FOR THE EYE AND CAN ONLY BE HINTED AT WITH WORDS.
As a nature photographer and birding guide I have struggled to capture visually and describe in words the hawkwatch, its not an easy thing to do. The "hawkwatch" is GRAND in its scale, a panorama of migration.
In Veracruz where I live the migration of raptors(15 species) is coupled with migrations of butterflies, dragonflies, Anhinga, American white pelicans, Woodstorks, scissor-tailed flycatchers.....(the list goes on)

Here is a photo that I took that expresses one dimension of the hawkwatch. (...... a mix of Turkey vultures, Swainson's hawks and a Broad-winged hawk, all in migration.

Looking to the fall hawkwatch 2010 in Veracruz

A mixture of migrating raptors,Swainson's Hawks, Broad-winged hawks and Turkey Vultures.  Spring 2010           Veracruz Mexico ©2010 David McCauley

Greetings to All! At the moment I am in NYC. I arrived a week ago after spending several months in Veracruz. I still have the thrill "buzz" after witnessing this years spring raptor migrations in Veracruz. This is my tenth year of observing the birds of prey migrations in Veracruz. I am still in the process of editing thousands of images that I took of this years spring migration. Over the next few months I will be sharing some of these photos here on the Veracruz hawkwatch blog.
For the fall 2010 Veracruz  Hawkwatch Tours I will once again be teaming up with Simon Thompson of Verntures Birding Tours- "Putting the fun back into birding!" We have a fine team of guides this year, Simon Thompson, Frank Gallo, Bill Thompson and David McCauley.
We have selected 4 dates for the Veracruz hawkwatch tours:
Tour #1.   September 25th -October 2nd
Tour #2    October 2nd-9thTour #3.   October 9th-16th
Tour #4.   October16th-23rd
**each tour is 7 days and begins and ends on a Saturday.
For the tour specifics please visit The Ventures Birding Tours website